Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Match Report by Dave Pyzer
Dorchester Town were the visitors to the Corinium Stadium on a damp Tuesday evening for this return Premier Division fixture – having drawn 2-2 at the Avenue Stadium in August.
In terms of current form both teams have secured 7 points from their last 6 games but Dorchester obtained a 3-2 victory over Chesham United in their last match whilst Cirencester lost 6-0 at Biggleswade. As a result Dorchester moved up to 17th place in the league table and Cirencester dropped to 21st.
Following their heavy defeat on Saturday the Cirencester Management Team had been busy sourcing new recruits and three new faces - Jamie Chamberlain and Will Hancocks (both on loan from Torquay United) and Luke Ballinger (Melksham Town) - lined up in the starting eleven and the Torquay contingent had a hand in three of the home sides goals.
Cirencester kicked off playing towards the Shed End of the ground and within the first minute a cross from Kieren Diaz-Benitez (playing despite breaking his nose on Saturday) found the head of Henry Spalding but it was comfortably caught by Shane Murphy in the Dorchester goal.
The response from the visitors was immediate as they worked an opening on the edge of the home penalty area, right channel, for Ollie Bassett to shoot but Raajan Gill (Saturday’s hero despite the score-line) parried his effort.
The game had started at a frantic pace and a few minutes later Adam Connolly slipped the ball to Diaz-Benitez who struck a shot from 25 yards, left channel, that Murphy pushed wide of his right post. Jamie Chamberlain was quickest to react and collected the ball near the by-line and laid it back to Diaz-Benitez, forward to Aidan Bennett and a right footed shot that cleared the Dorchester cross-bar.
Back came the visitors with a Dory Yates cross from the right corner that was blocked and a Franklyn Clarke strike from the front edge of the home penalty area that Gill saved low to his left.
Cirencester replied with a series of passes involving Diaz-Benitez, Henry Spalding and Connolly as they worked the ball down the left flank. Connolly slipped the ball through the visitor’s backline for Chamberlain to collect in the left channel of the penalty area where he moved right and fired towards the near post. Murphy pushed it wide for a corner kick from the home sides left flank and this was subsequently cleared to Diaz-Benitez near half way and he immediately sent it forward to AIDAN BENNETT on the centre front edge of the penalty area. The striker had his back to goal but swivelled to his left to strike a firm low shot with his right foot that beat the dive of Murphy to nestle in the net inside the left post. 1-0.
Five minutes later Bassett and Yates exchanged passes as they carried the ball down the Dorchester right flank to the corner where Yates crossed into the area. A covering Connolly headed the ball out but back they came with an attack down their left flank as Tom Blair received the ball on the left side edge of the home area, cut back right to lose his marker and fired a fierce right footed shot that was just wide of the far right post.
As the mid-point of the half approached Lewis Morgan had a pot at goal from 30 yards, left channel, that Gill pushed round his right post to concede a corner kick that Nathan Walker headed over the bar.
The Cirencester response was to work the ball down their right flank to Will Hancocks who took it to the corner before crossing into the Dorchester penalty area. Matt Oldring headed the ball out but as it dropped just outside the front edge of the area, right channel, JAMIE CHAMBERLAIN was in position to strike a sensational right footed volley that flew into the top right corner to open his account for Cirencester and double the lead. 2-0.
Almost immediately from the re-start Dorchester won a corner kick on their right flank that Neil Martin sent into the home area where it was headed back to him – this time his cross reached the front edge of the 6 yard box and the resulting downward header was blocked on the line by a well positioned Luke Ballinger who cleared it downfield.
With ten minutes of the half remaining Connolly collected the ball in the right channel and cut left before firing a left footed shot at the Dorchester goal from 25 yards that Murphy saved low to his left.
As the half entered the final five minutes Bennett received a pass just inside the Dorchester half that he controlled and turned in one motion to get past his marker before driving forward in the right channel. He slipped the ball left to Chamberlain who sent it to Hancocks on the right flank and he in turn crossed it to the front edge of the 6 yard box where it was headed out – striking Spalding at the back post before he could react and out for a goal kick.
Dorchester then won a corner kick on their left flank that Walker, under pressure and leaning backwards, could only direct over the bar.
In the final minutes of the half Bennett headed the ball through for a darting Chamberlain who was forced wider than he wished and his cross was cut out and this was soon to be followed by a clever pass from the left foot of Spalding, in the left channel, that curled between and behind the Dorchester backline. It was intended for Bennett but he was on his heels and just failed to reach it – terrific pass though.
Half Time: 2 – 0
A couple of minutes after the interval Hancocks played the ball to Bennett on the right side edge of the Dorchester area and he sent a low cross towards the penalty spot that was cleared but fell to a supporting Diaz-Benitez who fired at goal. His effort was deflected for a corner kick that resulted in another corner kick and when the visitors defended and countered Diaz-Benitez broke up the move near half way.
Five minutes into the half Bennett slipped the ball inside to James Mortimer-Jones who slid a clever ball down the left side edge of the visitors area for Spalding to cross to the back post where Hancocks popped up to fire at goal. Murphy spread himself and managed to block the attempt at his left post and it rebounded out towards the right corner (from Cirencester perspective) where Hancocks recovered it to cross towards the left post but just too high for a charging Bennett to connect with his head.
Will Hancocks was having a busy period and five minutes later another of his crosses from the right was cleared to Ballinger who struck a right footed shot from 25 yards that Murphy caught.
Almost immediately Cirencester attacked down their left flank as Chamberlain broke into the left channel of the Dorchester area and from a narrow angle he shot at goal. Murphy managed to parry the effort and deflected it to his left where WILL HANCOCKS was supporting and had a ‘tap-in’ from a couple of yards to score his first goal in Cirencester colours. 3-0.
Dorchester made a couple of substitutions immediately afterwards.
JAMIE CHAMBERLAIN was proving a handful for the Dorchester defence and within minutes he made another run into their area, left channel, and as he neared the by-line and shaped to cut back he was up-ended by Murphy for a penalty kick to be awarded. The eager striker picked up the ball to take the spot kick himself and struck it firmly into the bottom right corner as Murphy dived in the opposite direction. 4-0.
Ollie Bassett had looked dangerous for the visitors in the first half and he was to become an outlet for them in the second half as he constantly demanded the ball. As the mid-point of the half approached he collected the ball on the left flank and drove towards the home penalty area producing a couple of ‘step-over’s’ en route before sending a low cross towards the front edge of the 6 yard box where Gill dived to claim it.
The Cirencester response was a Bennett pass behind an advanced Dorchester backline for Hancocks to collect. As the winger moved into the area he was forced wide by Murphy, towards the by-line, and his shot from the narrowest of angles went behind the near right post.
Shortly afterwards Bassett had the ball again in the home penalty area and as his route to goal was blocked he turned away before ‘back-heeling’ the ball in the direction of Walker as he darted to the side edge of the 6 yard box but an alert Gill quickly dropped on the ball.
OLLIE BASSETT was not to be denied and a minute later a cross-field pass from the right channel, halfway, reached him on the left flank. He moved forward to the front left corner of the Cirencester penalty area before cutting right and sending a right footed curling shot that entered the home net in the top right corner. A quality strike. 4-1.
Encouraged by this success Dorchester pushed forward and Martin combined with Bassett on their left flank to release David Jerrard and he crossed from the side edge of the penalty area to Walker but the resulting header looped high into the air for Gill to make the catch.
With ten minutes to go Dorchester were awarded a free kick that Bassett sent into the area but Walker was unable to reach the kick.
Even though Cirencester had been pushed back they were still dangerous on the counter and from one such break they were awarded a free kick that was cleared to Diaz-Benitez who instantly drove it just wide of the right post from 25 yards.
Despite being behind Dorchester were finishing strongly and testing the resilience of the home defence and as they pressed Martin overlapped and crossed from the left side edge of the home area. The cross was headed behind by a covering defender for a corner kick that Gill punched away. It was eventually fed to the front edge of the area but as a Dorchester player shaped to shoot he was put under pressure by Mortimer-Jones and the resulting shot was easily gathered by Gill.
On the stroke of full time Dorchester were back again as the ball was worked across from the right flank to Jake Smitten who fired over the bar from the left front corner of the home penalty area.
The final action of the game was yet another corner kick from the Dorchester left flank but as the ball was played short and returned he was deemed to be offside.
Final Score: 4 - 1
The game was played at a frantic ‘end-to-end’ pace with the teams competing for every ball on a slippery surface.
Dorchester certainly made a game of it and tested the defensive qualities of the home defence in the latter stages in particular - with Ollie Bassett very prominent.
The new recruits for Cirencester all acquitted themselves well and seamlessly fitted into the team.
Jamie Chamberlain had a debut to remember as he linked well with Aidan Bennett and caused the Dorchester defence considerable problems all evening with his pace. His first goal was also a bit special.
The result and performance was an amazing ‘turn-around’ after Saturday’s heavy defeat – WELL DONE BOYS.
Attendance: 88
Referee: Ollie Williams
Cirencester Town:
1. Raajan Gill
2. Luke Ballinger
3. Kieran Diaz-Benitez
4. Matt Liddiard (C)
5. Ben Brown
6. Henry Spalding
7. James Mortimer-Jones
8. Adam Connolly
9. Aidan Bennett 12
10. Jamie Chamberlain 25, 60p
11. Will Hancocks 56
12. Robbie James
14. Kalum Youngsam (Adam Connolly-90mins)
15. Max Lloyd (Will Hancocks-88mins)
16. Ross Langworthy (Aidan Bennett-70mins)
Dorchester Town:
1. Shane Murphy
2. Dory Yates
3. Jake Smitten (C)
4. Neil Martin
5. Matt Oldring
6. Mark Jermyn
7. Franklyn Clarke
8. Lewis Morgan
9. Nathan Walker
10. Ollie Bassett 74
11. Tom Blair
12. David Jerrard (Lewis Morgan-58mins)
14. Ben Wood (Tom Blair-57mins)
15. Jason Brookes (Dory Yates-77mins)
16. Billy Mitchell
17. Nick Crittenden